First they told us there was no money to repair or to even study repairing the historic Tony Dapolito (formerly Carmine Street) Recreation Center, which the City has let rot and remain closed for five years. Now Mayor Adams says he has $52 million to spend on the Center, but ONLY to demolish it, rather than to restore and modernize it. We say NO — SAVE THE TONY DAPOLITO RECREATION CENTER!

After years of false claims that the landmarked Center was beyond repair, the City has finally revealed that they have tens of millions of dollars to repair it — but ONLY want to spend it on demolition and “reimagining” JJ Walker Park. This is an outrageous insult — to the memory of community leader and preservationist Tony Dapolito; to the generations of New Yorkers who used and found community at the center, and those who still want to; and to everyone who cares about preserving history and landmarked buildings, which the City thinks should be demolished once you no longer want to deal with repairing or maintaining them.

Village Preservation is instead demanding that the $52 million Mayor Adams has allocated in his proposed 2026 budget be used to restore and modernize the historic Tony Dapolito Center, and that the City Council provide any additional funds needed to ensure the building is reopened — see our testimony at the City Council budget hearings, and our joint letters with downtown community organizations and city and state preservation organizations to City officials.

TO HELP: